ALBANY, N.Y. – In recognition of National Lymphedema Awareness Day, Mahopac second grader Connor Looby was honored this week with a New York State Senate resolution recognizing his outstanding support and fundraising efforts for lymphedema awareness.

Albany, N.Y. – 03/06/2014 – Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, has passed a piece of legislation (S2652) in the New York State Senate that would ensure that veterans that are already receiving property tax exemptions will continue to receive exemptions if they move within the same county.

Albany, N.Y. – 03/06/2014 – Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, has passed a piece of legislation (S2652) in the New York State Senate that would ensure that veterans that are already receiving property tax exemptions will continue to receive exemptions if they move within the same county.

Albany, N.Y. – 03/05/2014 – On Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) hosted a “Stop Albany” Unfunded Mandate Relief Lobby Day. Local government and school officials from throughout the 40th Senate District traveled to Albany to meet with legislators to lobby for much needed unfunded mandate relief.

Albany has a long history of passing unfunded mandates down to local municipalities and schools. Unfunded mandates drive up costs to schools, municipalities, and counties; ultimately driving up taxes. In part, these mandates have forced New York to have some of the highest taxes in the nation.

Calling first responders the “backbone of our communities,” State Senator Greg Ball Tuesday hosted a forum in Carmel attended by some 75 representatives of emergency services agencies where training and funding issues were discussed at the Paladin Tactical Training Center.

Brewster, N.Y. – 03/04/2014 – With prom season right around the corner, Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) is teaming up with Operation PROM to help students attend prom by offering designer prom dresses for only $1. The prom dress sale will take place on Sunday, April 6th from noon to 4 PM at Villa Barone Hilltop Manor in Mahopac, NY.

MAHOPAC – Veterans and elected officials gathered at a forum Saturday to rally support for state legislation that would give a boost to businesses owned by disabled veterans.

The proposed NY Jobs for Heroes program — expected to be passed as part of the state budget package — calls for 5 percent of state contracts to be set aside for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans. The legislation would also create a state division to certify those businesses and mange the program.

The colder-than-usual temperatures this winter have led to higher-than-expected bills from Con Ed, and customers are freaked out.

“We’ve lived in Sleepy Hollow for 2 years and our bill has been between 6-9 cents per kwh and then suddenly this last bill jumped up to 17.9 cents per kwh,” said one Facebook commenter. “We rent an apartment, I don’t even want to think what a bill for a whole house would be.”

ALBANY—The State Senate passed a bill Thursday that would remove military deployment from consideration in child custody cases.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Greg Ball, a Putnam County Republican who is a retired Air Force officer, would also require that the custody arrangement in place prior to deployment be reinstated when a military parent returns home.

Albany, N.Y. – 02/26/2014 – Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, has announce that S3507A, legislation to protect active duty military service members from losing permanent child custody due to deployment, has passed the New York State Senate.

CORTLANDT, N.Y. — State Sen. Greg Ball (R,C,I-Patterson) is set to co-host a Veterans Roundtable on Saturday, March 1.

The “Hudson Valley Jobs For Heroes Roundtable” is set to start at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 1 at Carmel Town Hall at 60 McAlpin Ave. in Mahopac. Ball and Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Cold Spring) will co-host the roundtable. Former Chief Executive Officer of HBO and Yorktown resident Bill Nelson will join the roundtable.

Carmel, N.Y. – 02/25/2014 – Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson), Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs, hosted a Homeland Security and Emergency Response Roundtable with Jerome Hauer, Commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, on Tuesday afternoon at the Paladin Center Tactical Training Facility in Carmel, NY.

Poughkeepsie, N.Y. – 02/25/2014 – On Monday evening Senator Greg Ball (R, C, I – Patterson) hosted a Common Core Forum in conjunction with Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Over one hundred parents, students and educators attended the forum to voice their concerns over the new standards and to hear from Dr. Peg Luksik, a nationally recognized education expert.